Bird Flu Transmission

Many people think that "bird flu" is just a strange nickname for the H5N1 virus. However, this is not the case at all; the virus is actually dubbed the "bird flu," because it comes from birds. Birds that carry the virus may transmit it to humans and other animals through their spit, mucus, bodily waste, and blood. Any direct contact with the above fluids of an affected person or with any affected surface can result in transmission of the virus. The virus can live for a very long time, and in some circumstances is even indestructible. Sadly, this dangerous virus is spreading quickly and can reach any part of the world, though it appears to be uncommon in more developed countries.

Unfortunately, however, as more and more animals - including all kinds of livestock and common wild birds - contract the virus, it is expected to spread and eventually become a pandemic. It is for this reason that scientists and researchers are hard at work trying to develop a human vaccination for this very dangerous virus.

Just to prove how very serious this deadly virus is, it is important to note that researchers recently discovered that pregnant women may transmit the virus to their unknown children. This means that the virus is strong enough to affect and pass through all of the important systems of the body, including the brain, the lungs, the blood cells, and many important vitals organs. Since the virus was first discovered in 2003, the death toll has been steadily climbing. Infected people are reported to have died in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Dijibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam. It is believed that people in many other countries have been affected as well, though authorities lack the knowledge to diagnose or report the virus.